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Chapter 1 – Introduction
Keltron's serial digital alarm communicator transmitter or SDACT and fire digital alarm communicator
transmitter or FDACT are unique solutions that remotely monitor fire alarm control panels (FACP’s), and
enable an appropriate and timely response from personnel at a life safety event monitoring center.
When activated by changes from the monitored FACP’s control circuit outputs, the SDACT and FDACT
transmit field-programmable event reports using the industry standard SIA format to any SIA-compatible
digital alarm communicator receiver (DACR) via the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
Additionally, the SDACT and FDACT can report events to two separate digital receivers located at two
different physical locations. This allows both local and off-site monitoring using a single communication
solution.
Keltron SDACT Model
The SDACT provides a remedy for FACP’s, and other systems, that cannot report point-specific, critical
alarm information to a local or off-site central station-style digital receiver through the PSTN.
The SDACT is a field-programmable, seven-zone, slave fire alarm digital communicator transmitter with
an RS232 serial port. The SDACT provides four supervised hardwired alarm zones plus three
unsupervised hardwired zones for external power source monitoring. The RS232 serial port is used for
field
programming as well as for supplementary monitoring of serial data from the FACP.
The SDACT’s four alarm zones ensure that general event signals such as fire, trouble, water flow or
supervisory can be reliably transmitted. These signals are typically provided by the general alarm, general
trouble, etc., relay contact outputs of the FACP. In addition, the SDACT serial port monitors FACP serial
data, which is normally intended for a local printer or CRT display. That data includes point-specific
information such as detector type and address, and usually a broader range of event types. The SDACT
analyzes the data and converts it to the SIA format for transmission over the PSTN.
This unique serial interface is accomplished using FACP personality module software developed
exclusively by Keltron. The SDACT includes a personality software module that matches it to a specific
FACP. The specific personality module must be specified at the time the SDACT is ordered.
In order to report point-specific information from medium to large size FACP’s with a thousand or more
addressable detectors, SDACT uses all four of the zone number digits available in the SIA format.
However, some central station receivers or automation systems do not accept 4-digit zone numbers. To
accommodate these central stations, a firmware option is available to limit the zone numbers to 3-digits.
Instead, a range of account numbers is used, by adding what would be the 4
th
or leading zone digit to the
field programmed primary or secondary account number as required. Please see Appendix A for
additional detail. Currently the 3-digit option is factory configured only, and must be specified at time of
ordering.
For field-programming, the serial port must be disconnected from the FACP, and connected to a
Windows
TM
PC running Keltron’s S/FDACT programmer utility.
